The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that Seoul and Tokyo plan to hold a fresh round of talks next week to resolve the issue of Japan’s sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II, as they strive to taper differences in their historical perceptions. Lee Sang-deok, director general for Northeast Asian affairs at the ministry, is scheduled to meet with Junichi Ihara, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry on Nov. 27 in Seoul. The consultations

South Korea's rival parties are gearing up to pass bills aimed at helping improve human rights conditions in North Korea, sources said Friday, amid growing international pressure on Pyongyang over the issue.Those bills have been pending at the National Assembly for years due to wrangling between the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).In line with a recent bipartisan agreement, the bills will be presented Monday to a parliamentary foreign affai

US Republicans offered strident reaction Thursday to President Barack Obama's unilateral plan to bring millions of undocumented non-citizens out of the shadows and make them eligible for work permits."That's just not how our democracy works," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement after the White House unveiled details of Obama's plan, which lifts the threat of deportation for up to five million undocumented migrants."The president has said before that he's 'not king' and he's 'not an em

The lower chamber of Japan's parliament was dissolved Friday in readiness for a general election, expected next month, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to consolidate his grip on power and reinvigorate his economic drive."In accordance with article seven of Japan's constitution, the lower house is dissolved," speaker Bunmei Ibuki told the chamber.Ibuki's move came after a mandate from Abe, who is going to the polls less than half way through a four-year term.Abe said earlier this week that he

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won vowed Thursday to conduct a stronger crackdown on Chinese fishermen’s illegal fishing in South Korean waters amid their growing violence against South Korean authorities.Hundreds of Chinese fishermen are arrested each year for illegally crossing into and fishing in South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, often leading to violent clashes with South Korean Coast Guard officials. In early October, a Chinese captain was shot dead while trying to escape a crackdown after

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and economic cooperation during their talks on Thursday in Seoul, Chung's office said.Chung, during the meeting, proposed enhancing cooperation in fields such as South Korea's "creative economy" vision, maritime shipping and the exploration of mineral resources, the office said.The Finnish prime minister is in Seoul on a four-day visit, his first trip t

Russia's ambassador to North Korea has been named as the country's top envoy to South Korea, diplomatic sources said Thursday, raising hopes that the move would help promote cooperative projects among the three nations.Alexander Timonin, Russia's top envoy to Pyongyang, is likely to replace the incumbent ambassador Konstantin Vnukov starting as early as March next year, according to the sources.Timonin has had experience in dealing with trilateral cooperation among the two Koreas and Russia befo

U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) was selected Wednesday to continue to serve as chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee in the new Congress, his office said.Royce has served on the committee since entering the House of Representatives in 1993, serving as chairman since 2013. The lawmaker has shown particular interest in Korean Peninsula issues, such as the human rights situation in North Korea."Over the last two years, our nation has faced continuous, serious threats from across the globe,

Deeper relations between Russia and North Korea are conducive to boosting regional security and stability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, a day after he met with a special envoy from North Korea."The further deepening of political ties and trade-economic co-operation undoubtedly serves the interests of the peoples in both countries and ensuring regional security and stability," Putin was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.Putin spoke after receiving credentials from

South Korea and Finland have agreed to boost their bilateral cooperation in maritime shipping that will also ensure the European country's support for South Korea's development and use of a new North Pole shipping route, the South Korean government said Wednesday.A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation will be signed Thursday in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries."In the cooperation MOU, the countries will declare their agreement to build a partnership and share

The South Korean minister handling inter-Korean affairs will visit the United States early next month on a mission to publicize Seoul's preparations for the reunification of the two Koreas, an official in Seoul said Tuesday.Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae is scheduled to make a weeklong trip to Washington and New York starting Dec. 8, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity."He is pushing for meetings with officials at the White House, the State Department and Congre

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has suggested there are uncertainties over a potential summit with Chinese and Japanese leaders.Park voiced hope for a meeting with Chinese and Japanese leaders during last week's summit between Southeast Asian countries and their three Northeast Asian dialogue partners -- South Korea, China and Japan -- in Myanmar."I made the offer because I thought that conditions had improved this year compared to last year. Still, there remains a foreign ministers' meetin